Easy Low Calorie Calzones

Who loves easy low calorie calzones? Raise your hand!

I’m raising mine. 

There is just something about a hot, cheesy calzone fresh from the oven. Crispy and golden on the outside, warm and cheesy on the inside, and filled with all of those delicious pizza flavors we love.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to learn more. 

Calzones are a favorite in our house, but traditionally, they aren’t exactly what I’d call a light meal. Between the dough, cheese, meat and all of the toppings, a restaurant calzone can get pretty heavy pretty quickly.

Since pizza is something we crave often in our house, I wanted to come up with a version that was still delicious and satisfying without using a traditional pizza dough.

That’s where two-ingredient dough comes in!

A lighter way to make calzones

If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you probably know how much I love two-ingredient dough.

It’s made with just self-rising flour and fat-free Greek yogurt, and it can be used for so many different recipes.

I’ve used it to make pizza, and one of the first times I made two-ingredient dough, I actually cooked the pizza on the grill.

It was SO good.

I’m sure the grill had something to do with it, but I was also amazed at how well the dough worked. It gets a nice texture without requiring yeast, rising time or a long list of ingredients.

And that same dough works beautifully for easy low calorie calzones.

For this recipe, I added a little garlic powder to the dough. It gives the crust some extra flavor and makes the calzone taste even more like something you’d get from your favorite pizza place.

You can absolutely leave the garlic powder out if you prefer, or switch it up with Italian seasoning, basil, oregano or another favorite seasoning.

Is two-ingredient dough sticky?

Yes!

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that two-ingredient dough isn’t sticky.

It is.

Especially when you’re first mixing it.

The key is to use a lightly floured surface and a lightly floured rolling pin when you’re ready to roll it out.

Don’t go crazy with the flour, though.

It’s tempting to keep adding flour because the dough is sticky, but adding a lot more flour can change the texture of the dough and make the finished calzone taste overly floury.

A little flour is all you need.

And if you’ve ever found yourself without a rolling pin, don’t worry. I’ve been there! I’ve even used a drinking glass to roll out dough when I was in a pinch.

You use what you’ve got!

What’s inside these easy low calorie calzones?

These easy low calorie calzones are filled with some of my favorite pizza toppings:

• Fat-free ricotta cheese
• Pepperoni
• Diced ham
• Fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
• Garlic butter brushed over the crust

The combination of ricotta and mozzarella makes the inside wonderfully cheesy, while the pepperoni and ham give the calzones plenty of flavor.

And, of course, you can customize them.

That’s one of my favorite things about making homemade calzones.

Add your favorite pizza toppings to these easy low calorie calzones

If I were making these just for myself, I’d probably add onions, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives and jalapeños.

My kids, however, are not interested in vegetables anywhere near their pizza or calzones. 

So when I made these for my family, I kept them simple.

But you can absolutely add your favorite vegetables or other pizza toppings.

You could try:

• Mushrooms
• Bell peppers
• Onions
• Black olives
• Jalapeños
• Banana peppers
• Spinach
• Cooked chicken
• Cooked Italian sausage

Just remember that adding ingredients can change the nutrition information and WW Points, depending on what you add.

These easy low calorie calzones are BIG!

This recipe makes two large calzones.

Each calzone is cut into four pieces, giving you eight servings total.

That means each serving is a pretty substantial piece of calzone.

And because the calzones are made with two-ingredient dough, you get that satisfying combination of bread, cheese and meat without needing a traditional pizza dough recipe.

If you’re especially hungry, you can always enjoy two pieces.

That’s one of the reasons I love recipes like this. You can have a meal that feels indulgent without necessarily needing to eat an enormous restaurant-sized calzone.

How to make these easy low calorie calzones

Start by preheating your oven to 400°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the self-rising flour and Greek yogurt.

Start mixing with a spoon or fork, then use your hands to finish combining the dough.

Once everything is incorporated, form the dough into a ball and divide it evenly into two pieces.

Roll each piece of dough out on a lightly floured surface.

I aim for approximately 14 x 11 inches, although it doesn’t have to be perfectly shaped. We’re making homemade calzones here, not competing on a cooking show!

Spread half of the ricotta over one side of the dough, leaving a little room around the edges.

Add half of the pepperoni, followed by half of the diced ham and half of the mozzarella.

Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges together.

You’ll want to make sure the edges are sealed as well as possible so your delicious cheese doesn’t escape all over the baking sheet.

Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Don’t skip the garlic butter!

One of my favorite parts of this recipe is the garlic butter brushed over the top.

Melt the light butter and stir in the minced garlic.

Then brush half of the mixture over the top of one calzone and the other half over the second calzone.

It gives the crust a beautiful golden color and adds even more flavor.

Carefully transfer the calzones to a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Here’s an important tip: Have a large spatula nearby when you’re moving the calzones.

The dough is soft, and the calzones are large, so transferring them can be a little tricky.

If you have someone nearby, you can also have them help support the other side as you move the calzone onto the baking sheet.

Bake for approximately 20–25 minutes, or until the calzones are golden brown.

Let them cool for a few minutes before cutting.

And then comes the best part…

Dig in!

Serve them with marinara

Want to take these calzones to the next level?

Serve them with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

There’s just something about dipping a cheesy, meaty calzone into marinara sauce that makes the whole meal even better.

Just remember to account for the marinara in your nutrition information or WW Points if you’re tracking.

Make a taco calzone!

Here’s another idea I’ve wanted to try with this recipe: taco calzones!

Instead of pepperoni and ham, fill the calzone with seasoned taco meat and cheese.

Then, after baking, slice it open and add your favorite taco toppings.

Think lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa and avocado.

Basically, a taco and pizza had a baby.

I’m pretty sure my family would love that one!

Why you’ll love these easy low calorie calzones

These Easy Low Calorie Calzones are:

• Easy to make
• Made with simple ingredients
• Family-friendly
• Customizable
• Cheesy and filling
• A fun alternative to pizza
• Made with two-ingredient dough
• Great for lunch or dinner

And they make a great option when you’re craving pizza but want something a little different.

Recipe

Easy Low Calorie Calzones

Servings: 8 (Cut each calzone into 4 equal pieces)
Makes: 2 large calzones

Ingredients

• 1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 tablespoon of this spice
• 1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 30 slices turkey pepperoni (I prefer this brand)
• 1 cup diced ham (about 5 ounces)
• 2 cups fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon light butter with canola oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine self-rising flour and Greek yogurt.
3. Mix with a spoon or fork, then use your hands to thoroughly incorporate the ingredients.
4. Form the dough into a ball and divide it evenly in half.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into approximately a 14 x 11-inch rectangle.
6. Spread ½ cup ricotta over one half of the dough, leaving approximately ½–1 inch around the edges.
7. Add 15 slices of pepperoni, ½ cup diced ham and 1 cup shredded mozzarella.
8. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges together to seal.
9. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
10. Melt the butter and stir in the minced garlic.
11. Brush half of the garlic butter over each calzone.
12. Carefully transfer the calzones to a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.
13. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown.
14. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing each calzone into four equal pieces.

This recipe makes two large calzones and eight servings total.

 

Please try this recipe out and share it! Let me know how you like it!

Cheers!

Carissa